Chapter 272: Dissatisfaction
9th February 2013, Sayre Manor
(Jasmine Sayre POV)
"I understand that there were many causes that led to their abandonment of me, I just moved past it. I don't want to have anything to do with the Potter family, except for you, that is."
Rose shook her head, "My brother is dead, Jasmine. Can't you at least pretend to be grieving with me?"
"I didn't know Nathan, Rose. I cannot grieve a man that I did not know, especially one who betrayed you so readily."
"I think I need to be alone right now."
I protested for a second, "I'm not sure that, that is a good idea."
"I said LEAVE!" my sister yelled at me.
I nodded, with a blank face and removed a small box from my pocket dimension, "This box contains what was left of Nathan's body after the ritual was over. For all that is worth, Rose, I am sorry. I know that he was your brother, and that you cared for him, deeply."
I put the box on the dresser and slowly left the room, making sure to close the door, this time. I pretended not to hear Rose's sobbing screams as I walked away.
(Selene Gallio POV)
Ever since she was born, Selene had felt empty, hungry for something that she was fundamentally missing. She blamed those moronic tribesmen of hers that performed an experimental ritual on her pregnant mother, hoping for a messiah that would save them from their enemy tribes. It was no wonder that they created a monster that drained them of their souls, or more accurately, their life force.
Gods, that was so long ago. She doesn't even remember how long it was. That's how old she was. But for what seemed like an eternity, all Selene felt was the constant hunger for souls, to drain them, and to feel complete for barely more than a moment. Oh, how she ached for the feeling of completeness she felt when she took someone's energy for herself.
Animals could get her going for a while, but humans were always the best. It was probably because it was more compatible with her own, being a human herself.
At first, she felt horrible, killing all those people just so that she could live, even if a small voice in her head told her that she was enjoying it. But slowly, as she lived for longer, she stopped caring for the lives of mortals. Because why should she care for their fleeting lives when she's obviously more than they will ever be? It was hard to care for people that would die in a blink of an eye.
She had travelled the world and learnt magic along the way. A few centuries in, she was the supreme caster of magic, rivalled only by the Sorcerer Supreme, not that they knew of her existence. Selene did her best to keep a low profile, seizing power subtly in a few cities, and then leaving them after she got bored. It wasn't a glamorous life, but it was enough for her, for a time.
But one day, she woke up particularly drained. She had forgotten to feed and had almost died in turn. It was on this day that she decided to do something drastic, desperate, afraid of feeling this vulnerable again. Selene decided to feed on the entire city of Rome. It was both her greatest failure, but also one of the best decisions she ever made. Because it was then that she met the Morrigan.
Of course, she knew about the woman. She was a legendary harbinger of Death and suffering, especially towards those who go too far. Truthfully, Selene had expected to die at the woman's hands, but instead, she found a gaze that was too understanding to be untrue. In the end, Selene found herself with a true friend that she wouldn't lose to the sands of time, and the Black Witch latched onto her and refused to let go.
Ever since then, Morrigan has been a constant in her life. She helped her deal with her constant hunger, she gave her a place to call home. She taught her to control her gifts, allowing her to touch people without the fear of killing them. She even taught her magic. Was it any wonder that she fell in love with her friend?
Alas, it took some time for Morrigan to return her feelings, being constantly forced to obey what the Fates had in store for her, living the life given to her, forced to act a certain way to preserve the balance of all things. It made her sick. The Morrigan was the most powerful entity on the planet, without question, and yet she was forced to obey the whims of vague entities that had no power in the mortal world.
Their relationship wasn't perfect, Selene knows this, especially with the constant absences during Morrigan's 'missions' and the Black Witch did her best to occupy herself by taking over a country or something.
It took thousands of years for the Morrigan to get free of the Fates' control, with the time loop that she was part of finally being resolved. You would think that things would calm down slightly, but somehow, things got even more chaotic.
Selene did her best to weather everything that was being sent her way, but ever since her wife had performed that ascension ritual, things were getting too much. The Black Witch just didn't understand why her wife cared so much about the mortals around them and ignored her heartbreak when they inevitably withered and died before her.
For some reason, she kept trying to live as a mortal, giving herself silly names and identities, in a foolish attempt to retain whatever is left of her humanity. It was such a pathetic mindset, and not at all suitable for someone of her calibre.
Perhaps her current irritation wasn't exactly Morrigan's fault. During her wife's ritual in Wakanda, Selene's pendant started glitching slightly. It was the first true gift she had ever received from her wife, and it helped her contain the constant leakage of life force, meaning that it made sure that she wouldn't feed too much. There was still a leakage, but it was somewhat manageable. She just absorbed the life force of a bloodthirsty murderer every half a century or so, and she was alright. Even then, it was Morrigan who made sure that soul transfer went smoothly, using the pendant as a buffer. Slowly, the feeling of hunger faded to the back of her mind, and for the first time in her life, Selene learnt to live.
The pendant was bound to Morrigan's magic, to use as a buffer when it was time for Selene to feed on another poor soul, or to be able to take control in case something had happened. How could they have forgotten this, she didn't know, but during her wife's little adventure in other universes, the pendant had completely malfunctioned, not that she had noticed at first, Morrigan was only gone for a few years.
She only knew that something was wrong when it kept glitching during her wife's ascension ritual. For the first time in thousands of years, she started to hunger for more energy. She had lost control during a mugging attempt in the streets of New York City, and she had drained three muggers of their life forces. The feeling was divine, it was otherworldly. Selene forgot why she stopped directly feeding on mortals, especially when it felt so right.
Even after her wife had returned and the pendant somewhat stabilized, the feeling hadn't faded. Her life force may have stopped leaking but she still craved the feeling of completeness even further. She missed feeding on other humans. Her pendant just wasn't enough, and even now, she walked down in bad neighbourhoods wearing expensive clothes and jewellery, waiting to be mugged, just so that she could feed on them. After all, if they were the ones attacking her, and she just retaliated, she wouldn't be in the wrong, would she?
The Morrigan wouldn't say anything about Selene defending herself. And it's not like thousands do not die every day, what's an extra one or two? For all that her wife complained about the natural order, she had caused far more deaths than Selene ever did. And it's not like Selene fed on innocents, only violent criminals. In a way, she was helping the mortals fight crime, killing one mugger at a time.
Currently, Selene was anxious for another feeding session, which is why she urged her wife to deal with the Court of Shadows as soon as possible. Unfortunately, she wasn't attacked when she walked into a shady neighbourhood in New York, and her wife had dealt with those pesky wizards quickly enough.
But It wasn't enough. Morrigan's identity as 'Jasmine Potter' was being hunted down by various magical governments all over the world, prompted by the members of the Court of Shadows. Her connection with the Sayre family was already public knowledge, which means that finding 'Jasmine Sayre' is inevitable.
Selene needed to know what happened before making sure that everything was dealt with. From what she has heard, the British branch of the Court was dealt with, but she was still in danger. She waited for her beloved to finish consoling her sister, who had lost a brother in the conflict.
When her wife got down, Selene was calmly sipping tea, hoping to make this as brief as possible, "So, what's next?"
Morrigan looked confused at her question, "I don't understand."
Selene let out an exasperated sigh, "Seriously, do you think that the rest of the Court of Shadows is just going to let you be?"
Morrigan shook her head, "I know, but what else can I do? If they get too close to this identity, I'll just fake my death once more. It isn't the first time that I used this trick."
"They might be mortal, but they're not stupid, Morrigan. They will see through your trick this time. They will not relent."
Selene's wife let out an exhausted sigh, "What do you want me to do? I can't just kill them all. The chaos alone would be a nightmare to deal with."
"And why is this your problem? You're free now, Morrigan. You have no more responsibilities. Not to fate, and especially not to Death. You owe these people nothing. If they hunt you down, then do the same to them. If they threaten your family then kill them before they hurt you. If they wish to kill themselves, then let them. They are not your responsibility."
Morrigan interjected, "Of course they are. I have watched over them ever since Atlantis fell. I have a duty as the last Daughter of Atlantis…"
Selene interrupted her wife's tirade, "Atlantis is dead, Morrigan. Stop clinging to a dead city, because all that remains of her are fables and stories."
"...And me. I am what is left of Atlantis and I can't just let go of my legacy, of my past."
The Black Witch answered softly, "Atlantis was a great city, legendary even, but Morrigan, it's gone now. You need to stop working yourself to the bone trying to keep everything together, especially with what's coming. You have been spreading yourself thin for centuries, making sure that the muggles don't kill off the mage population, protecting the world from extra-dimensional threats, and keeping an eye on the mutant population, and the mage communities. You even crafted one of the most complex spells ever made, by gods and mortals alike, just to enforce the Statute of Secrecy, you've done enough.
The Morrigan didn't seem to be convinced so Selene continued, "but with how large the population has grown, and with it the number of dangers they involve themselves with. It's time to let go, remove the kiddy gloves and let them take care of themselves. You need to focus on dealing with Entropy and your deal with the Asgardians, and you can't afford any distractions."
Reluctantly, Morrigan nodded, "Fine, I'll try to let things go a little, but I will get involved if things go too far. As for the Court, I'll try to come up with something. I'm going to bed. It's been a long day and I'm exhausted."
Selene's wife walked up the stairs to their bedroom, leaving a disappointed Selene. She knew that tone. Morrigan was just going to let things be until the Court does something drastic. But no, not this time, Selene is going to take care of things before her wife gets hurt once more. And if she feeds on a few of her enemies along the way, well, no one has to know about it.
Alright, this is it, we're finally caught up to the current events of the story. This means that there will be no more mass uploads. I generally post four chapters a week, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. I tend to be consistent (I have been for more than a year now) but I will let you know if I miss an upload day.
On the other hand, if you want to support me, check out my Patreon. I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 15 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.
Chapter 272: Dissatisfaction
9th February 2013, Sayre Manor
(Jasmine Sayre POV)
"I understand that there were many causes that led to their abandonment of me, I just moved past it. I don't want to have anything to do with the Potter family, except for you, that is."
Rose shook her head, "My brother is dead, Jasmine. Can't you at least pretend to be grieving with me?"
"I didn't know Nathan, Rose. I cannot grieve a man that I did not know, especially one who betrayed you so readily."
"I think I need to be alone right now."
I protested for a second, "I'm not sure that, that is a good idea."
"I said LEAVE!" my sister yelled at me.
I nodded, with a blank face and removed a small box from my pocket dimension, "This box contains what was left of Nathan's body after the ritual was over. For all that is worth, Rose, I am sorry. I know that he was your brother, and that you cared for him, deeply."
I put the box on the dresser and slowly left the room, making sure to close the door, this time. I pretended not to hear Rose's sobbing screams as I walked away.
(Selene Gallio POV)
Ever since she was born, Selene had felt empty, hungry for something that she was fundamentally missing. She blamed those moronic tribesmen of hers that performed an experimental ritual on her pregnant mother, hoping for a messiah that would save them from their enemy tribes. It was no wonder that they created a monster that drained them of their souls, or more accurately, their life force.
Gods, that was so long ago. She doesn't even remember how long it was. That's how old she was. But for what seemed like an eternity, all Selene felt was the constant hunger for souls, to drain them, and to feel complete for barely more than a moment. Oh, how she ached for the feeling of completeness she felt when she took someone's energy for herself.
Animals could get her going for a while, but humans were always the best. It was probably because it was more compatible with her own, being a human herself.
At first, she felt horrible, killing all those people just so that she could live, even if a small voice in her head told her that she was enjoying it. But slowly, as she lived for longer, she stopped caring for the lives of mortals. Because why should she care for their fleeting lives when she's obviously more than they will ever be? It was hard to care for people that would die in a blink of an eye.
She had travelled the world and learnt magic along the way. A few centuries in, she was the supreme caster of magic, rivalled only by the Sorcerer Supreme, not that they knew of her existence. Selene did her best to keep a low profile, seizing power subtly in a few cities, and then leaving them after she got bored. It wasn't a glamorous life, but it was enough for her, for a time.
But one day, she woke up particularly drained. She had forgotten to feed and had almost died in turn. It was on this day that she decided to do something drastic, desperate, afraid of feeling this vulnerable again. Selene decided to feed on the entire city of Rome. It was both her greatest failure, but also one of the best decisions she ever made. Because it was then that she met the Morrigan.
Of course, she knew about the woman. She was a legendary harbinger of Death and suffering, especially towards those who go too far. Truthfully, Selene had expected to die at the woman's hands, but instead, she found a gaze that was too understanding to be untrue. In the end, Selene found herself with a true friend that she wouldn't lose to the sands of time, and the Black Witch latched onto her and refused to let go.
Ever since then, Morrigan has been a constant in her life. She helped her deal with her constant hunger, she gave her a place to call home. She taught her to control her gifts, allowing her to touch people without the fear of killing them. She even taught her magic. Was it any wonder that she fell in love with her friend?
Alas, it took some time for Morrigan to return her feelings, being constantly forced to obey what the Fates had in store for her, living the life given to her, forced to act a certain way to preserve the balance of all things. It made her sick. The Morrigan was the most powerful entity on the planet, without question, and yet she was forced to obey the whims of vague entities that had no power in the mortal world.
Their relationship wasn't perfect, Selene knows this, especially with the constant absences during Morrigan's 'missions' and the Black Witch did her best to occupy herself by taking over a country or something.
It took thousands of years for the Morrigan to get free of the Fates' control, with the time loop that she was part of finally being resolved. You would think that things would calm down slightly, but somehow, things got even more chaotic.
Selene did her best to weather everything that was being sent her way, but ever since her wife had performed that ascension ritual, things were getting too much. The Black Witch just didn't understand why her wife cared so much about the mortals around them and ignored her heartbreak when they inevitably withered and died before her.
For some reason, she kept trying to live as a mortal, giving herself silly names and identities, in a foolish attempt to retain whatever is left of her humanity. It was such a pathetic mindset, and not at all suitable for someone of her calibre.
Perhaps her current irritation wasn't exactly Morrigan's fault. During her wife's ritual in Wakanda, Selene's pendant started glitching slightly. It was the first true gift she had ever received from her wife, and it helped her contain the constant leakage of life force, meaning that it made sure that she wouldn't feed too much. There was still a leakage, but it was somewhat manageable. She just absorbed the life force of a bloodthirsty murderer every half a century or so, and she was alright. Even then, it was Morrigan who made sure that soul transfer went smoothly, using the pendant as a buffer. Slowly, the feeling of hunger faded to the back of her mind, and for the first time in her life, Selene learnt to live.
The pendant was bound to Morrigan's magic, to use as a buffer when it was time for Selene to feed on another poor soul, or to be able to take control in case something had happened. How could they have forgotten this, she didn't know, but during her wife's little adventure in other universes, the pendant had completely malfunctioned, not that she had noticed at first, Morrigan was only gone for a few years.
She only knew that something was wrong when it kept glitching during her wife's ascension ritual. For the first time in thousands of years, she started to hunger for more energy. She had lost control during a mugging attempt in the streets of New York City, and she had drained three muggers of their life forces. The feeling was divine, it was otherworldly. Selene forgot why she stopped directly feeding on mortals, especially when it felt so right.
Even after her wife had returned and the pendant somewhat stabilized, the feeling hadn't faded. Her life force may have stopped leaking but she still craved the feeling of completeness even further. She missed feeding on other humans. Her pendant just wasn't enough, and even now, she walked down in bad neighbourhoods wearing expensive clothes and jewellery, waiting to be mugged, just so that she could feed on them. After all, if they were the ones attacking her, and she just retaliated, she wouldn't be in the wrong, would she?
The Morrigan wouldn't say anything about Selene defending herself. And it's not like thousands do not die every day, what's an extra one or two? For all that her wife complained about the natural order, she had caused far more deaths than Selene ever did. And it's not like Selene fed on innocents, only violent criminals. In a way, she was helping the mortals fight crime, killing one mugger at a time.
Currently, Selene was anxious for another feeding session, which is why she urged her wife to deal with the Court of Shadows as soon as possible. Unfortunately, she wasn't attacked when she walked into a shady neighbourhood in New York, and her wife had dealt with those pesky wizards quickly enough.
But It wasn't enough. Morrigan's identity as 'Jasmine Potter' was being hunted down by various magical governments all over the world, prompted by the members of the Court of Shadows. Her connection with the Sayre family was already public knowledge, which means that finding 'Jasmine Sayre' is inevitable.
Selene needed to know what happened before making sure that everything was dealt with. From what she has heard, the British branch of the Court was dealt with, but she was still in danger. She waited for her beloved to finish consoling her sister, who had lost a brother in the conflict.
When her wife got down, Selene was calmly sipping tea, hoping to make this as brief as possible, "So, what's next?"
Morrigan looked confused at her question, "I don't understand."
Selene let out an exasperated sigh, "Seriously, do you think that the rest of the Court of Shadows is just going to let you be?"
Morrigan shook her head, "I know, but what else can I do? If they get too close to this identity, I'll just fake my death once more. It isn't the first time that I used this trick."
"They might be mortal, but they're not stupid, Morrigan. They will see through your trick this time. They will not relent."
Selene's wife let out an exhausted sigh, "What do you want me to do? I can't just kill them all. The chaos alone would be a nightmare to deal with."
"And why is this your problem? You're free now, Morrigan. You have no more responsibilities. Not to fate, and especially not to Death. You owe these people nothing. If they hunt you down, then do the same to them. If they threaten your family then kill them before they hurt you. If they wish to kill themselves, then let them. They are not your responsibility."
Morrigan interjected, "Of course they are. I have watched over them ever since Atlantis fell. I have a duty as the last Daughter of Atlantis…"
Selene interrupted her wife's tirade, "Atlantis is dead, Morrigan. Stop clinging to a dead city, because all that remains of her are fables and stories."
"...And me. I am what is left of Atlantis and I can't just let go of my legacy, of my past."
The Black Witch answered softly, "Atlantis was a great city, legendary even, but Morrigan, it's gone now. You need to stop working yourself to the bone trying to keep everything together, especially with what's coming. You have been spreading yourself thin for centuries, making sure that the muggles don't kill off the mage population, protecting the world from extra-dimensional threats, and keeping an eye on the mutant population, and the mage communities. You even crafted one of the most complex spells ever made, by gods and mortals alike, just to enforce the Statute of Secrecy, you've done enough.
The Morrigan didn't seem to be convinced so Selene continued, "but with how large the population has grown, and with it the number of dangers they involve themselves with. It's time to let go, remove the kiddy gloves and let them take care of themselves. You need to focus on dealing with Entropy and your deal with the Asgardians, and you can't afford any distractions."
Reluctantly, Morrigan nodded, "Fine, I'll try to let things go a little, but I will get involved if things go too far. As for the Court, I'll try to come up with something. I'm going to bed. It's been a long day and I'm exhausted."
Selene's wife walked up the stairs to their bedroom, leaving a disappointed Selene. She knew that tone. Morrigan was just going to let things be until the Court does something drastic. But no, not this time, Selene is going to take care of things before her wife gets hurt once more. And if she feeds on a few of her enemies along the way, well, no one has to know about it.
Alright, this is it, we're finally caught up to the current events of the story. This means that there will be no more mass uploads. I generally post four chapters a week, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. I tend to be consistent (I have been for more than a year now) but I will let you know if I miss an upload day.
On the other hand, if you want to support me, check out my Patreon. I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 15 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.
